Candidates and result aside, what a bloody farce! The result of what was effectively a two horse race was at least 4 hours overdue. The ballot papers were supposed to be read and counted by machine but it still took twice as long as it does to get a General Election result. Boxes put in storage without being counted etc....Laughable! We go on and on about Goal Line Technology but in 2012 we still do elections with a bit of paper and a dodgy 12B pencil on a bit of string. Surely we can all be issued with a pin and do it on-line or even on a computer at a Polling Station. Turnout was ridiculously low, so low that on average every 3rd poster on this thread can have their conclusion of the result dismissed as they didn't even bother voting.*
As Falconwood says it was close enough to suggest that anyone but Livingstone would have won it for Labour-only got themselves to blame for picking him though had they not he probably would have run as am independent
Tbh I'm not sure that the labour vote that swung behind boris would have stayed with labour if the candidate was oona king who was kens only challenger
The fact that Ken isn't going stand again is the best news to come out of yesterday's results. He's probably got a book or two in him and we'll have to endure him in a shit load of interviews, but after all that and with a bit of luck he'll retire to his 4 story, 5 bed roomed town house in Islington and we won't hear from him ever again!
Can't believe that the greatest city on earth could only come up with these two jokers as realistic options. I'm fairly certain any politician with a bit of nous about him could defeat Boris - which says a lot about Ken !
The funny thing is that privately Milliband won't be too upset and Cameron will be slightly concerned.
That's my reading too - the London mayor is a curious job, a lot of status, but not much actual power and the consensus is that Livingstone was a decent mayor in terms of actually doing the actual job. But he had a habit of opening his mouth and saying stupid things on matters unrelated to the day job which his supporters would have to scramble to either defend or find an apology for, and these comments would be seized on with glee by the Tory press and the usual suspects. This puts him out of the way on a shelf somewhere in a place where he can be ignored which I think will suit Ed Miliband very well.
Good to see the BNP return to the damp, dark place they emanated from as well.
Tbh I'm not sure that the labour vote that swung behind boris would have stayed with labour if the candidate was oona king who was kens only challenger
Who knows - personality seems to have been a bigger factor in this election but Johnson only won by 62,000 votes, and Labour overwhelmingly won the election for the London Assembly. I too am not so sure that Oona King would have been Johnson, but maybe if Labouur had run someone like Alan Johnson - a Londoner after all, then he might have won.
They were/are both a Joke. Having a clown like Boris as mayor makes a mockery of the whole thing.
I think he is cool. He comes across as a bumbling fool, but he makes me laugh. I'm not sure a Mayor is required, and I'm not sure the position has any realistic responsibility so why not have a comic in the job. At least it makes me laugh when he comes out with some of his sayings.
Thank-you God. If Livingstone had won I would have been majorly disappointed. Odious man. Excellent, I couldn't think of one word that describes him better. i can think of two though. Champagne socialist.
This is a disaster in my opinion. Transport is about to get even more ridiculously expensive!
I can't stand Boris, but I seem to be in the minority here. Can you really relate to him? Do you think he gives a damn about ordinary working people? He called his £250,000 job writing a column for a Sunday paper "chicken feed".
It seems the only thing that counted was celebrity and people thinking "he's a character"!
Comments
Turnout was ridiculously low, so low that on average every 3rd poster on this thread can have their conclusion of the result dismissed as they didn't even bother voting.*
* This is a STATISTIC not a FACT!!
http://www.buzzfeed.com/greggdd69/15-orangutans-that-look-like-london-mayor-boris-jo-5v0w
Any other Labour candidate would have won imo.
Bye Bye Ken! :-D
Good to see the BNP return to the damp, dark place they emanated from as well.
Odious man. Excellent, I couldn't think of one word that describes him better. i can think of two though. Champagne socialist.
You talk a lot of crap BFH but sometimes you come across quite intelligent, like you were on this thread until you had to go and spoil it all.....
I can't stand Boris, but I seem to be in the minority here. Can you really relate to him? Do you think he gives a damn about ordinary working people? He called his £250,000 job writing a column for a Sunday paper "chicken feed".
It seems the only thing that counted was celebrity and people thinking "he's a character"!